Chapter 282 - It's Alive?

Chris, Ginny and Hermione returned from Slughorns party Monday night at half-past ten. Not to look out of place anymore and mostly to impress Slughorn (so that he thinks Chris was very appreciative of his parties), Chris had started styling her hair differently and wear different accessories for every party. Today, she was wearing a pair of silver oval shaped earrings and had gracefully French braided her hair. Hermione just had used a hair gel to tie her hair in a ponytail. Ginny had pinned a few flowers on her hair.

"Dilligrout," said Chris, exhausted, as they reached the Fat Lady.

The portrait swung open to admit them to the common room. They entered and saw Colin and Ron sitting near the fireplace.

"You didn't go to sleep?" Hermione yawned sitting on a chair.

"We were waiting for Harry," said Ron.

"He isn't here yet?" asked Chris surprised flopping down on an armchair beside them.

Colin shook his head.

"Oh, I hope he hurries up," Chris stifled a yawn. "I am too tired and —"

"Guess who we met today?" Ginny said grinning as she stretched, sitting between Colin and Ron.

"Who?" asked Colin.

"Gwenog Jones," said Ginny.

"Gwenog Jones?" said Ron, his eyes widening. "The Gwenog Jones? Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?"

"That's right," said Hermione. "Personally, I thought she was a bit full of herself, but —"

"Hermione?" Ginny looked shocked. "How could you say so? She made an all women Quidditch team on her own and the team is extraordinary. Of course, she is a bit proud of herself."

"Ginny, I didn't mean to —" Hermione began looking embarrassed.

"No, of course not because you don't —" Ginny snapped.

"What did you like in the party, Chris?" asked Colin cutting both Hermione and Ginny off.

Chris was half asleep when Colin suddenly turned to her. She understood that Colin was trying to change the subject but her brain wasn't conscious enough to answer that question smartly, so she blurted out the first thing came to her sleepy mind.

"I liked the Chocolate Chip Cauldron Cake," said Chris. "They were really good."

Colin, Ron, Ginny and Hermione stared at her. Then they burst out laughing except Ron, who looked still a little grumpy for not able to test that Chocolate Chip Cauldron Cake.

"No seriously they were good. . ." Chris trailed off as her eyes closed slowly.

"Chris! Chris!"

"Huh? What's — Harry!" Chris opened her eyes and saw Harry sitting in front of her. "Sorry, I was really tired."

"It's okay, sorry to wake you up," said Harry. "But I thought, you will want to know what happened at today's lesson."

"Yeah," Chris sit up straighter. "Yeah, go on."

Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Colin all looked at Harry expectantly as he took a deep breath.

"Today we went through Dumbledore's memory," began Harry. "When he met Voldemort for the first time. He was in an orphanage."

"What happened to his mother?" asked Ron.

"She died after she gave birth to him. She was in very poor condition, she even sold the Slytherin Locket, the only possession left with her. She sold it in Borgin and Burkes," said Harry. "She even didn't know the real price, she was so desperate, she just took ten Galleons. . ."

As Harry continued to recount all the bad things Riddle did even as a ten years old boy, Chris' mind wander over the Slytherin Locket. Last time Harry didn't mention it that much, he had just said that the Gaunts were descendants of Slytherin and they had a few possessions of their ancestors.

"Harry," Chris said after Harry finished. "How was that Slytherin's Locket, you mentioned?"

"It was a heavy gold Locket with Slytherin's mark on it," replied Harry.

"You mean a Snake mark looking like an 'S'?" Chris said in a surprisingly calm voice. The sleepiness had left her, she was feeling wide awake.

"Yea-yeah," said Harry, thinking when he had mentioned this detail?

Chris stood up. Her mind was racing but her face was blank.

"Do you think Dumbledore will up, now?" she asked calmly.

"Yes, maybe, I don't know," said Harry looking surprised.

"We need to see Dumbledore, Harry," said Chris walking towards girls' dorm. "Wait here for me."

"But why? What happened?" asked Ginny looking shocked like others.

"I will tell you," said Chris quietly before climbing upstairs.

Chris' future self was already sleeping in her bed, she realized she was going to go back in time after she had met Dumbledore. 

Without waking anyone up, she opened her trunk slowly and rummage through her things and finally found the thing she was looking for. Chris had her suspicions that the gold locket belonged to Salazar Slytherin because she had seen him wearing it in her dreams but she wasn't sure at that time. Now, she was, though the locket never gave her the same feeling as the Slytherin Key, something was wrong and if Voldemort or his family had this same locket then it was definitely not right.

Chris walked back downstairs with the heavy locket in her hand. Her friends were still there looking worried. 

"Chris, what's going —" Hermione stopped as Chris held the locket towards Harry.

"Is this it?" she asked.

Hermione and Ginny gasped.

"Yes, I think," Harry said, his eyes widening. "Where did you — when did you — find it?"

"I will explain it later," said Chris walking towards the portrait hole. "First we need to meet Dumbledore and make sure something."

Harry suddenly went stiff.

"Harry, are you coming or not?" Chris muttered surprised.

Harry was staring hard at the locket in Chris' hands.

"There is something inside it," breathed Harry. "Something alive."

Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth and before others could understand what Harry's words meant, Chris dragged Harry out of the common room.

"Dumbledore's office, now." 

That's all she said before running. Within minutes, she was saying "toffee éclairs" to Dumbledore's gargoyle, which leapt aside, permitting her and Harry entrance onto the spiral staircase.

"Enter," said Dumbledore when Chris knocked. There was Dumbledore's office, looking the same as ever, but with black, star-strewn skies beyond the windows.

"Good gracious, Christina," said Dumbledore in surprise. "And Harry? To what do I owe this very late pleasure? What happened?"

"Sir, — Salazar Slytherin's locket," panted Chris holding up the gold locket. "Is this it?"

For a moment or two, the headmaster looked stunned. Then in a heartbeat, he crossed his desk and was in front of Chris. He held the locket up, holding it by its chain and like Harry stared at it. Dumbledore's face was absolutely serious and alert.

"Sir, is it really a —" began Harry but Dumbledore held a hand up to stop him.

He quickly placed the locket on his desk.

"Where did you get this?" Dumbledore asked, pulling out his wand.

"Grimmauld Place," said Chris, noticing every single one of the old headmasters and headmistresses in the portraits around the walls was awake and listening in on their conversation. A corpulent, red-nosed wizard had actually taken out an ear trumpet. "I found it when we were cleaning, last year. I kept it, out of curiosity, later I realized I had seen this locket in my dreams, around Salazar Slytherin's neck. . . and today when Harry described it, I thought it could be useful."

"Do you have any idea how it got there?"

"I am not sure but Kreacher was very possessive over it. He said it belonged to Sirius' brother Regulus," replied Chris stepping forward.

"Stay back!" Dumbledore ordered. He muttered a few incantations, waved his wand but nothing happened to the locket. It just lay there motionless.

No one made any sound. Dumbledore was in deep thought and Chris, Harry and the portraits were staring at him. After a moment Dumbledore's eyes lit up.

"Harry, how did you open the Chamber of Secrets?" He asked.

"Er. . . oh. . . by asking it to open, sir, in Parseltongue," said Harry looking surprised.

"Yes, of course," smiled Dumbledore. "Well then Harry, I guess I need your help in this. I can not do it on my own."

"What exactly — sir —?" Harry looked confused for a second then looked at the locket, and realization flooded his face. "You want me to open it, sir — in Parseltongue?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore and again he turned serious. "Listen carefully both of you, after it opens, something will happen — it can be anything — it could try to harm me — yes, do not come in between — do not try to save me. But if things took a more vicious turn then call Professor Snape — yes, Professor Snape. Call him."

Harry gaped at Dumbledore's words as Dumbledore turned to face the locket. Chris recovered fast.

"As you say, sir," she said nodding.

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To be continued. . .